Northern Territory electricity reforms paving the way for renewable energy

2 minute read 21.04.2021

MinterEllison has been working in the electricity market in the Northern Territory (NT) for a number of years and in particular, played a key role in the separation of companies in 2014-15.

Since then, the market has been developing and is now moving to a full-scale market. The Government has a clear policy to move towards achieving 50 percent renewable energy by 2030, and new market reforms are required to achieve that target.

Our team has been on the ground in Darwin working on the Government’s electricity reform program. It has been invaluable having a deep understanding of the environment in NT and strong connections in the Darwin community.

These NT electricity reforms will have lasting impacts; by enabling new generation projects to be developed, the Territory will transition to a greener, more secure power system. Without changes to the market rules, it is difficult for private entities to join the market.

The NT is ideally suited to solar power and new solar operators will not only be able to connect to the network, but also operate in a way that enables safe and secure energy supply, with increased efficiencies.

The work is continuing into 2021.